Poultry (tray pack) wrapping device



Feb.-5, 1957 R. c. KABRICK POULTRY (TRAY PACK) WRAPPING DEVICE FiledJuly 16, 1953 INVENTOR. ROI/1M0 CZ KAB/WCK f ATTORNEY United StatesPatent 2,780,045 POULTRY (TRAY PACK) WRAPPING DEVICE Roland C. Kabrick,Jasper, 1nd,, assignor to Swift 8; Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporationof Illinois Application July 16, 195.3,Serial No. 368,353 1 Claim. (Cl.53-219) The present invention relates to an apparatus used in thewrapping of packages.

The present invention was devised to facilitate the wrapping of cut-uppoultry packed in trays. Numerous other foods and non-edible productsare similarly packed and the particular substance in the trays is not ofany real significance. It will also be apparent to those skilled in theart that the invention will be applicable to the wrapping of containershaving shapes other than those of the trays described and illustrated inthe description and drawings.

During the past decade the merchandising of cut-up poultry has increasedsignificantly and there is a tremendous demand for this product inprepackaged form. One of the forms in which a substantial amount of thisproduct is packaged in to place the cut-up chicken in an open top traywhich is then wrapped in a transparent plastic film, such as rubberhydrochloride, commonly sold under the trademark Pliofilm, or celophane.Such packaging allows the customer to pick up the product and examine itwhich facilitates its sale and yet the product is kept in a sanitarycondition. Another advantage is that the prepackaging, when done by anorganization that specializes therein, is less expensive than similarwork performed by the individual stores. Furthermore, many stores do nothave the help available to cut up chicken, let alone to attempt to dothe packaging.

The appearance of the finished package has a great deal to do with itssalability. Even if the product in two packages is identical, it Will befound that the more attractive package will sell in greater volume thanwill a less attractively prepared package. This is particularly true inself-service departments where the packages are picked up by thehousewives from a supply in a suit able display case. One factor that isimportant in the attractiveness of the finished package is the tightnesswith which the transparent film is drawn over the product in the tray.Obviously cut-up chicken comprises a number of units very irregular insize and shape with the dimensions varying for each chicken which unitsare difficult to fit into a standard packaging procedure. This, coupledwith the necessity of keeping the tray relatively small so that thechicken does not appear to be lost therein, creates a problem in drawingthe film smoothly and tightly about the protruding portions of thechicken in the tray.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a simplestructure to facilitate the Wrapping of such packages in the face of theproblems previously discussed, and to enable the wrapper to produce anattractive, readily salable package of product.

Obviously the films of transparent material are quite light, with asmooth slick surface. These factors tend to cause the film tocontinually slide out of position and to cause the wrapper lost motionsin positioning the film and pulling it tight about the package. Afurther object 2,780,045 Patented Feb. 5, 1957 2 of the presentinvention is to eliminate these lost motions to speed the wrapping ofthepackages.

An additiopalobject is the simplicity and low cost of the invention plusthe fact that its use is readily under standable to the least clever ofemployes engaged in such operations.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdescription takenin conjunction with the drawings in which: i

Figure l is a invention; and

Figure 2 is a section taken at line 2-2 of Figure 1.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1, the invention is mounted on asuitable base structure in the form of a table, generally 10, to raisethe device to a suitable height for easy manipulation by the wrapper.Table 10 has a top 11 on which the film 12 to be employed in thewrapping of the tray 13 is laid out. Projecting from the front of table10 is a shelf 14 which forms a support for the tray 13 during thewrapping procedure.

The front wall 16 of the table 10, which in effect rises vertically fromshelf 14, has a forwardly projecting overhang 17 secured to the topthereof. The overhang may be formed from a piece of angle iron.Preferably the upper leg 18 of the angle iron 17 is about wide. Thevertical position of leg 18 with respect to top 11 of the table is notparticularly significant. However, the spacing between the bottom of leg18 and the top of shelf 14 is rather important. The tray 13 and the film12 should be a fairly snug fit between the leg 18 and the shelf 14.Preferably the width of shelf 14, as measured across the front of thetable, is a little less than the distance between the two ends of thetray 13.

If desired a wrapping bar 20 having a generally U- shaped configurationmay be employed to speed the pulling of the film 12 about the package.The two ends 21 and 22 of bar 20 are turned inwardly and are pivotallymounted in brackets 23 and 24, respectively, secured to table 10.

The wrapping of the package is performed by first taking a film 12 froma suitable stack of sheets of such film and laying it on table top 11with an end 26 hanging down onto shelf 14. The tray 13 filled withproduct is laid over end 26 of the film and the tray is then pushed awayfrom the wrapper and under leg 18 of the angle iron 17. This draws thefilm smoothly against the rearward side of the tray and holds end 26 inplace. If a wrapping bar is used the bar is then swung in an arc intothe position shown at 20 in Figure 2, drawing the film about the top ofthe tray with the original rearward end 27 of the film hanging downwardfrom the front of the tray. The wrapper then may grasp the portions ofend 26 projecting to either side of the tray and draw the tray forwardfrom under leg 18. The opposite end 27 of the film is tucked under thetray in overlapping position with respect to end 26 of the film.Preferably the ends of the film are then secured together as by means ofa hot iron in the case of a rubber hydrochloride film or by othersuitable means in the case of other types of films. Subsequently the twoprojecting sides of the film are folded down over the ends of the trayand suitably closed and fastened.

The foregoing description of a specific embodiment is for the purpose ofcompliance with 35 U. S. C. 112, and I do not desire to be limited tothe exact details shown and described, for obvious modifications willoccur to a person skilled in the art.

I claim:

A device for use in wrapping open topped trays of a predetermined heightcontaining a food product with a wrapping material of a given thickness,said device inperspective view of an embodiment of the eluding a tablehaving a horizontal tray supporting surface, an upright projecting abovesaid surface, a fixed holding member attached to said upright andprojecting generally horizontal in a direction over a small portion ofsaid surface, said member being spaced from said surface an amount suchthat the distance between the underside of said member and the adjacentportion of said surface is about twice said given thickness of saidwrapping material plus the height of said tray whereby a tray with apiece of wrapping material about one side and above and below said traymay be wedged between said member and said surface to hold the wrappingmaterial in place while the wrapping material is drawn about the tray,means beyond said member in the reverse of said direction to '4 supporta sheet of said wrapping material prior to and at the start of thewrapping process, and means to draw said sheet from said last mentionedmeans and about said tray after one edge of said'sheet has been wedgedabout said tray between said surface and said member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,543,673 Knowles June 30, 1925 1,942,017 Baldwin Jan. 2, 1934 2,452,604Selsmeyer Nov. 2, 1948 V FOREIGN PATENTS 223,766 Great Britain Oct. 30,1924

